Andrew Lanier

Comments

Michael,
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, there is one missing step in the building of the sauce; simply, a small dice of bacon is sweated in a pan and then golden raisins, fresh sage and the bourbon sauce are added to the bacon and warmed together.
As to the pork belly, it had been cooked sous vide ahead of time. (We refer to this in the kitchen as compound cooking). A long cooking process such as sous vide or braising requires the protein to be compound cooked, and then finished a la minute. The finishing process for this pork belly is what you see on the video.

Sean,
Yes, this sauce would pair very well with a NY Strip or a rib eye steak. However, I would recommend omitting the golden raisins included in this episode. The same base ingredients can also work very well if you substitute a blended scotch for the bourbon. Tailor the sauce to match the accompaniments with the steak, as well as the drink served alongside. The technique used to build this sauce is universal for stock based reduction style sauces, and can be modified to suit the dish you are preparing. Experiment with different vegetables for the base, use different wines and spirits to build upon, or change the aromatics, herbs and spices. One of the goals for this series is to introduce people like yourself to complex cooking techniques, in the hope that they apply the methods to their own cuisine. Whether you recreate this sauce or apply the technique to your own creation, I hope you enjoy!

Michael,
Look for recipes soon on the “Inside the Kitchen Door with Chef Andrew Lanier” page on Facebook. Due to the length of the recipes and their complexity, I can’t always guarantee accompanying recipes, but I will do my best to make them available. (Also, the recipe testing process is very lengthy, and I want to make sure that any recipes I put forward are accurate and doable in a home kitchen).
Cheers!

Ian,
Glad you enjoyed! Yes, in the restaurant we make this sauce ahead of time, keep it warm, and then finish it with the diced bacon, golden raisins etc. to order.
One of the goals we had for “Inside the Kitchen Door” was to take our viewers behind the scenes to explore in depth what goes into creating the dishes our diners enjoy.
The bourbon sauce is just one example. Many more to come, thanks for watching!

Blair,
Though you can make a liqueur with only fennel seeds, it will not have the vibrancy and intensity of a liqueur made with the blossoms. The blossoms are astonishingly fragrent, and full of complex and volatile essential oils that the seeds do not carry. (These oils are what cause this liqueur to louche). Also, the chrolorphyll and sweet pollen from the fresh plant give the liqueur its color. Look for the blossoms to appear on the plant in mid july-early august. The plant grows wild, and is very widespread, even in urban areas. I’ve even seen it growing roadside on the Alaskan Way Viaduct here in Seattle.
If you’re itching to try something similar this spring, you can infuse a bottle of light blended scotch with fresh heather blossoms. (Pick off just the flowers from the plant.) This is great for light, effervescent scotch cocktails.
The bottle can be reused; after removing the spent fennel with chopsticks or long tweezers and washing it well.
Cheers!

Jon,
Yes, it is very possible to do without an immersion circulator. Before I started using the circulator, I would use a large canning kettle and simmer the jars stovetop at ~140 degrees for an hour. You need to make sure that there is a wire rack on the bottom of the kettle, so that the glass doesn’ t come into close contact with the heat source.
I used this method to make a really wonderful spice roasted apple liqueur with an Armagnac base. This method works great for ingredients that benefit from the heat, or do not suffer from it. (Apples, spices, quince, and dried fruits are wondeful. Things like peaches or melon are too delicate, and have a “cooked” flavor if produced this way).
However, the cold freeze method works great for juicy, delicate items.